HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA: Women for WineSense Napa | Sonoma Chapter (WWS), the premier wine education and networking organization for wine aficionados and industry professionals, announces the next Winemakers’ & Viticultural Roundtable on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Lancaster Estate located at 15001 Chalk Hill Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448, hosted by Alicia Sylvester, Estate Enologist. Lancaster Estate is located in the southern Alexander Valley, where cool marine influences create optimal growing conditions for Bordeaux varieties. The 53 acre estate is micro farmed in small blocks, focusing on wines expressing their terroir.
Maggie Zeman, Managing Director of The Barn Group and SVP of Double Forte will present Segmented Media Training for Winemakers and Viticulturists across media and PR platforms and channels.
The free roundtable meeting is open to WWS Winemaking Roundtable members and interested women winemakers and viticulturists that have emailed and received RSVP guest confirmations through the Roundtable Chair.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Maggie Zehman is the founder and Managing Director of The Barn Group, an integrated Healdsburg-based public relations and digital marketing agency with a hands-on, results oriented approach targeted to wineries, distilleries and hospitality businesses, and Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Double Forte, San Francisco. Together Double Forte and The Barn Group bring expertise in large-scale national food and beverage companies as well as in artisan wine and food companies to provide specialized communications, PR and digital marketing services to clients.
Ms. Zehman’s expertise in the wine & beverage industry spans over twenty years, following a successful PR career in the high tech sector. Her creative insight and strategic planning have been successfully implemented at many well known brands in the wine industry at both artisan and large-scale wineries as well as national food and beverage companies. Ms. Zehman’s unique insight across multiple communications and PR platforms combined with years of conducting media training for owners, winemakers and other winery principals will bring relevant, actionable perspective to her presentation and lively Roundtable discussion.
ABOUT THE EVENT:
The Roundtable will open at 3:00 p.m. with wines and networking followed by a 3:30 p.m. behind-the-scenes winemaker tour with Alicia Sylvester. At 4:00 p.m., the group will gather in the cave for announcements then enjoy the presentation, followed by a question and answer session. Attendees are encouraged to bring a bottle or two of wine for the host and speaker panel.
Roundtable chair Julie Hagler Lumgair noted, “Winemakers, growers and owners are some of the most powerful spokespeople for wine-loving audiences, media and trade. Each target audience and vehicle is important, but quite different in their needs. ‘One size media training’ doesn’t fit all occasions. Maggie Zehman has helped many of our region’s noted wineries prepare, then ace interviews and complex media interactions. She’s an expert who understands our industry, our unique career tracks and the challenges of being a highly effective brand ambassador. It will be a great opportunity to hone our skills in a friendly, relaxed environment.”
ABOUT THE WINEMAKING & VITICULTURAL ROUNDTABLE |RSVP DETAILS:
The Winemaking Roundtable meets approximately five times a year, taking a harvest break. The free roundtable meeting is open to WWS Winemaking Roundtable members and interested women winemakers and viticulturists who have emailed and received RSVP guest confirmations through the Winemaker Roundtable Chair. Guests may attend up to two Roundtables before deciding to join.
Please, all attendees must be pre-approved; no walk-ins. To RSVP, or for any questions on this event or future WWS Winemaking Roundtable events, please contact Ms. Lumgair at Julie@Lumgair.com, 415-786-3415.
Ms. Lumgair continued, “Our roundtable’s past meeting topics have focused upon the skills women winemakers and viticultural professionals need but aren’t always easy to get in their daily environment. Held at some of the region’s finest host wineries, these programs are a unique opportunity for women winemakers and viticultural professionals to connect directly, in a welcoming forum, with experts that they otherwise wouldn’t get to meet for personal advice and questions.
ABOUT WWS ROUNDTABLES:
WWS’ eight current professional roundtables serve to provide a welcoming and confidential environment to meet in small peer groups on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis. Members network, provide advice and support for one another, as well as foster educational occasions by inviting guest speakers in their fields and discussing ‘hot issues’ facing members in their day-to-day work. Multiple Roundtables have developed for WWS industry members in finance, accounting, human resources, winemaking/viticulture and marketing/direct-to-consumer fields.
The Napa/Sonoma Chapter currently has more than 350 members of which 70% are wine industry professionals. To join or learn more about WWS’ roundtables, please visit www.womenforwinesense.org. For inquiries about other WWS roundtables for additional functions besides winemaking and viticulture, contact the Napa| Sonoma Chapter’s Roundtables Director, Lisa Bishop Forbes, lbishopforbes@gmail.com.
ABOUT WOMEN FOR WINESENSE:
The Napa| Sonoma Chapter of Women for WineSense is the founding chapter celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The founding chapter continues to present educational, insightful and stimulating events in a non-intimidating and fun environment. The chapter provides educational and networking opportunities to both wine industry professionals and wine enthusiasts. Both men and women of legal drinking age are welcome to join Women for WineSense. The Napa| Sonoma Chapter has an exciting line-up of events. To learn more about joining this chapter, visit their website.
